


He Will Change the World

by Rose711



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Hopeful Ending, Letters, M/M, asking for help, going back to college, present day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:53:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25946890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose711/pseuds/Rose711
Summary: The one where Michael asks Alex to write him a letter of recommendation to accompany his college application. (letter of recommendation included)
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 13
Kudos: 87
Collections: Roswell New Mexico ▶ Michael Guerin / Alex Manes





	He Will Change the World

“Hey, Guerin.” He felt his heart flutter and a broad smile immediately overwhelmed his face. The sound of Alex‘s voice would never fail to have an effect on him.

Michael put his money down on the counter and turned to face Alex, his smile faltering only a little when his eyes landed on Forrest as well.

“Hi, Michael,” Forrest said warmly before putting his hand on Alex’s arm. “I’ll talk to you later.” Michael couldn’t help but notice that Alex‘s eyes did not follow him as he walked out the Crashdown door.

“Going back to work now?” Alex asked and for a second Michael wanted to blow off the rest of the work day and ask if he wanted to go for a drive.

“Yeah, Sanders wanted to try fixing one of the cars on his own, make sure he still got it,” Michael chuckled as Alex smiled. “Figured I’d grab some lunch and when I get back he can tell me it was a piece of cake.”

“Hey,” Michael said quickly as Alex opened his mouth to respond. “Can I come over tonight?”

A wary look immediately crossed Alex’s face and Michael internally groaned. Why did he even bring it up now? He had already planned on just texting him later. But Alex had smiled and he completely forgot his plans that he spent so long figuring out.

“I just wanna ask you something. Well, give you something too. But I don’t have it with me. So I can’t give it to you now.” That was not swift and Michael cringed a bit. Alex looked at him with furrowed brows, clearly wondering where this was going. “I’ll just come by quick if that’s okay, I won’t take up your entire night if you have plans.” The nerves were rattling him. “Or I can come by tomorrow if that’s better. It’s not a big deal.”

Alex’s expression softened and he smiled, making Michael relax. “Tonight is fine, come whenever you’re done with work.” Michael sighed and nodded enthusiastically.

\----

Michael pulled up to Alex‘s house at exactly 7 o’clock, the time he had planned on. He shut off the truck and took a deep breath, running his hands over his shirt, trying to smooth any wrinkles. He looked down at himself and simultaneously thought about whether he should’ve dressed up a little more, or dressed more casually. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans, the nicest shoes he owned and an off-white button up untucked that Isobel had given him - _“I accidentally bought it and don’t feel like returning it”_ she had said as he rolled his eyes at her lie. He unbuttoned another button toward the top and rolled up the sleeves one more time. He nearly put the keys back in the ignition but instead quickly grabbed an envelope on the bench seat and nearly ran out of the truck before he lost his courage.

He meandered to the front door while trying to remember some breathing exercises Maria had taught him. Before he knew it he was already at the door and his fist was meeting the wood, making a loud _rap rap rap_ that made him shudder.

Only a few seconds later the door swung open and Michael’s breath hitched in his throat. Alex was clearly recently removed from the shower, his hair perfectly haphazard and wearing gray sweats with his Air Force t-shirt.

“Come on in, Guerin,” he said nonchalantly as he gracefully maneuvered on his crutch to the kitchen. Michael stood seemingly glued to the porch, his mind momentarily free of chaos. “Do you want something to drink?” He asked as he turned his head to look at him. ”Guerin?”

Michael blinked a few times rapidly and came to. “Uhh, sure.” He stepped inside and closed the door, making his way to the kitchen.

Michael sat down and brought his hands to the table, thumbing the envelope as he stared at it intently. He heard Alex place two beers down and he tried to smile but was unsuccessful, the nerves getting the best of him.

“What’s going on?” Alex asked carefully, a bit of worry evident in his voice. “Is everything okay? Are you okay?”

Michael sighed deeply and clamped his eyes shut quickly before opening them and looking up to Alex. “Yeah. Yeah, everything is fine.” Alex visibly relaxed and Michael grinned, some tension leaving his body. But silence surrounded them for a good thirty seconds.

“You mentioned earlier that you wanted to ask me something and give me something?” Alex prompted, Michael grateful for the help. “Is that what the envelope is?”

“I do need to ask you something. A favor. And if you don’t want to for any reason it’s fine, not a big deal,” Michael said quickly as he shot his eyes down to his hands where he continued to turn the envelope over.

“I… I’m applying to college. For agricultural engineering with a focus on sustainable development,” he nearly whispered, though saying it out loud brought a sense of relief and pride that he wasn’t expecting. “It’s nothing too fancy, just Eastern New Mexico, some classes will be online and then some in person on the Roswell campus. If I get in…”

“You’ll get in,” Alex said reassuringly with so much confidence that Michael lifted his head to meet his eyes. “They’d be lucky to have you.”

“Yeah? Well, I’m glad to hear you say that because that’s kinda where my favor comes in,” Michael chuckled nervously. “I’m almost done with my application but I need a letter of recommendation. I was thinking one from a Captain in the Air Force may be good. Especially since it’s been so long since high school, I had good grades and was what teachers annoyingly called well rounded, but I haven’t stepped foot in a classroom since graduation. And then you have my criminal record, which is not quite something to brag about. I don’t even know if they’ll let me in because of that…” He was anxious and babbling but stopped when he felt Alex’s hand on his.

“Of course.”

“Of course, what?” Alex laughed.

“Of course I’ll write you a letter of recommendation.” Michael’s face lit up and he felt tears rush to his eyes.

“You will? Are you sure? You really don’t have to.”

“I would be honored to write one for you. I’m proud of you, Michael.” Michael turned his hand over so he was holding Alex’s across the table and squeezed it before letting it go.

“Thank you. This,” Michael said as he slid the envelope to Alex, “is a short form to fill out and return with the letter. They suggest you send it right to them and they’ll attach it to my application.”

“Sounds good. I will work on it this week and get it out next week if that’s okay.”

“I’m hoping to submit the application the end of this week so that would be perfect.” Michael took a deep breath and grabbed his beer, taking a big swig of it before moving to stand up. “I should probably go, I promised you this would be quick.”

“Right before you got here I put the oven on to make a frozen pizza for dinner. Why don’t you stay?” Michael raised his eyebrow at Alex, who knew exactly what he was silently saying. “It’ll just be a little celebration, why not?” Michael hesitated but nodded and walked to the freezer to grab the pizza.

They both moved around the kitchen fluidly, gathering all the necessary plates and utensils. Once the pizza was finished baking, they ate amidst lively conversation. Michael couldn’t stop gushing about the different classes he would be taking and Alex listened intently, occasionally asking questions that made Michael’s eyes light up with desire and possibility.

As Michael was leaving Alex’s house a couple hours later, he couldn’t help but realize that that was the best night he had had in a while.

\----

Three weeks after Michael asked Alex for the letter of recommendation he got a notification on his phone that he had a new email. As he glanced at the screen his heart stopped and he left the car he was working on to sit in one of the chairs around his firepit. Clutching his phone tightly, and not breathing, he opened the email from Eastern New Mexico University.

_Congratulations, we are pleased to inform you…_

He remembered how it felt to receive the full ride to UNM over a decade ago but this felt so much better. Michael felt a tear run down his cheek and the biggest smile reached his eyes. He couldn’t sit still any longer and he got up, pacing the junkyard, pumping his fist and repeating “Yes! Yes! Oh my god. Yes!” over and over.

He went back and sat down, closing out of his email momentarily to send Alex a text.

  
M- _I just heard! I got in!! I start in the fall! Thank you again._

It was barely a minute later when his phone buzzed with a response.

_A- YES!! I knew you would! Congratulations, I am so proud of you. Celebratory drinks at the Wild Pony tonight? 8pm?_

Michael smiled even bigger, if that was possible. Forrest and Alex had cooled off the past few weeks and his and Alex’s friendship continued to grow. Finally it felt like the universe was on Michael’s side.

M- _Absolutely! See you then._

He exited the text conversation and went back to the email. He needed to send a screenshot to Isobel and Max, and he wanted to read the whole thing.

The final paragraph of the acceptance letter noted that his full application was attached to the email for his records. He absentmindedly clicked on it, proudly scrolling through his answers and essay. But when he got to the final page he froze.

They included Alex’s letter of recommendation.

As he read it the tears formed once again. Seeing himself from this perspective, from the perspective of someone who truly cared about him, was overwhelming to say the least. He felt seen. He felt worthy. He felt wanted. He felt like he could change the world. And he knew he would.

\---

_Eastern New Mexico University  
1500 S Ave K  
Portales, NM 88130_

_To whom it may concern:_

_Insightful, intellectual, resilient, independent and a leader are all words that describe Michael Guerin. I am Captain Alexander Manes of the United States Air Force and I enthusiastically recommend Michael Guerin for admittance to your university and to the Agricultural Engineering program._

_There is a spirit and determination in Michael that defies all odds. Though it was over a decade ago, Michael’s academic achievements were numerous and he was at the top of his class. However, he faced situations his entire life that attempted to break him. He was in and out of foster homes from childhood through adulthood, often experiencing mental and physical abuse, staying in homes with mental health and addiction problems and being forced to enroll in a half dozen schools before he was a teenager; during much of high school he was literally homeless. Despite all this, he still managed to fall in love with his academics and education._

_Due to circumstances beyond his control, he was unable to attend college directly after high school. He worked as a farmer and rancher, growing his love for sustainable agriculture and development. Michael currently works as a manager at a junkyard, continually trying to find new and innovative solutions to make every day life easier and better for those around him. He has never stopped learning and I am confident that he won’t._

_Michael has the potential to change the world. And he has the determination to change the world._

_In addition to his past academic success, which I know will be even greater in the future, and his real-life experiences, he possesses a zest for life that is infectious. When he enters a room there is a positive energy that is palpable and he brings this energy to everything he does._

_Michael is exceptional not because of his accomplishments alone but because of what he has had to overcome and how he has done it. He has not been perfect and he will be the first to admit he has made mistakes, but if anyone deserves a second chance it is Michael Guerin._

_I wholeheartedly recommend Michael Guerin for admittance to Eastern New Mexico University. He is determined and I truly feel as if you would be lucky to have him in your program. We have only seen a snapshot of Michael’s potential and he will only continue to evolve and thrive, bringing so many along with him. Please feel free to contact me directly with any additional questions at 575.555.5755._

_Sincerely,_

_Captain Alexander Manes  
United States Air Force_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! I am a scholarship program administrator and I actually vehemently feel that letters of recommendation are useless and a waste of time, but they're often required and I had this idea for a while... and when they're good, they're amazing.
> 
> tumblr: theviewofmylife


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